Almond Danish Bread

These buttery braided brioche loaves are stuffed with almond cream. They freeze well, so you can make one for now and one for later! And no one needs to know that the impressive-looking braiding is so easy.

Makes 2 loaves

Difficulty: Medium

Make Ahead and Storage: This bread is best eaten the same day it’s made, but you can keep it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can freeze the un-iced baked loaves—wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil—for up to 3 months.

• 1 recipe Brioche Dough, cold
• 1 recipe Almond Cream, cold
• 6 g / 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• Egg wash: 57 g / 1 large egg, beaten with 15 g / 1 tablespoon water and a small pinch of fine sea salt
• Turbinado or coarse sugar, for sprinkling
• 85 g / ¼ cup apricot jam
• 21 g / ¼ cup sliced almonds
• Optional Icing
• 113 g / 1 cup powdered sugar
• 45 g / 3 tablespoons heavy cream, plus more if needed
• 2.5 g / ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Roll one piece of the dough out to a ½-inch-thick rectangle, about 10 by 14 inches. Trim the edges of the dough with a knife or pastry wheel to even them, then transfer the dough to one of the baking sheets. Repeat with the second piece of dough and transfer it to the second baking sheet. Put one of the sheets in the refrigerator while you work with the other.

3. Pipe or scoop half the almond cream into a line down the length of the dough, spreading it evenly but leaving 3 inches of exposed dough on the left and right sides. Use a bench knife (bench scraper), knife, or pastry wheel to cut horizontal 1-inch-wide slits down both of the long sides of the dough; you should end up with 12 or 13 strips on each side. Starting at the top right, fold the first strand diagonally over the filling; it should reach the other side of the filling. Fold the first strand on the top left side over in the same way, crossing over the first strand and making an X where the dough strips meet each other. Repeat to crisscross the strands all the way down the loaf. Pinch the excess dough at the ends on both the top and the bottom to make sure they’re well sealed. If you like, you can tuck the dough over or under itself to make a cleaner edge, or just leave it as is—both work.

4. Repeat with the second piece of dough.

5. Cover the loaves with greased plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 40 to 45 minutes, until noticeably puffy.

6. Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C, with racks in the upper and lower thirds.

7. Brush the loaves with the egg wash and sprinkle generously with turbinado sugar. Bake until the loaves are evenly golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes.

8. At the end of baking time, warm the jam to loosen it slightly.

9. Brush each baked loaf with jam and sprinkle with the almonds. Cool completely.

10. Glaze the loaves, if desired: Whisk together the powdered sugar, cream, and vanilla in a medium bowl to combine. If the glaze seems too thick, add more cream in 14-g / 1-tablespoon increments as necessary to reach the desired consistency. Drizzle or pipe the icing on top of the cooled loaves and let set for at least 5 minutes before slicing.

✻ Why It Works

It can be difficult to shape brioche into intricate designs because the enrichments—butter, milk, and eggs—keep the dough soft. This shaping method is relatively quick to complete. And the crisscrossed strips hold the filling, which is also quite rich and can spread easily, in place.

★ Pro Tip

This style of braiding works great for individual pastries too, and it’s great for cream cheese and fruit fillings. To make smaller pastries, cut the dough into 3-by-5-inch pieces and use 1 to 2 tablespoons of filling for each one, leaving a 1-inch edge of dough on each side. Cut the slits ½ inch apart, and crisscross the strips as directed here. This technique will make about 18 individual pastries—reduce the baking time to 18 to 22 minutes.